What better way to celebrate than by planning a Meditation Garden? After all, “hang 10″ (as the Beach Boys used to say) is just another slang for chillin’ out, lettin’ go, relaxin’, banishing the sturm und drang of urban life.

Celebrate Aug. 6 by defenestrating those cares and woes, at least for a little while. In his lectures on creating meditation gardens, landscape architect Lewis Coleman emphasizes that these are the most personal of places. They can be quite large (such as the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park) or as small as those often-hard-to-landscape strips on the sides of houses.

At the very least, he says, all you need is “a place to sit, aromatic plant and one small shade tree.” You don’t even have to be outside, if your window overlooks a restful nook.

A bit of history helps to understand meditation gardens. Coleman says Zen monastery gardens were minimalist because feudal warfare left the monks with no usable materials. Raking gravel to create patterns was sometimes the only technique they had available.

Curving lines are conducive to relaxation, even if they are only a few yards long. Sound and movement are soothing. Use plants that attract birds and butterflies. If space permits, add a water feature. It needn’t be large, just a large bowl with a small recycling pump will create the effect.

This would be an ideal spot for a piece of outdoor art that particularly touches you.

Sometimes “meditation gardens” are just seasonally useful. You’ll never guess where one of mine is — in season. It’s right outside my kitchen sink window. I have a hideous porterweed that almost always has a butterfly or hummingbird on it. Other birds, dragonflies, bumble bees, wasps, there’s always movement around the horribly invasive pink, white and blue ruellia, a gorgeous Mexican orchid tree, giant coneflowers and, just barely in view, dwarf crepes.

For me, movement is essential in any meditation garden. I don’t mind at all working at the sink when they’re all in bloom.

The important thing is the area, however large or small, makes YOU relax. I’d love to hear how you — or any of your friends — have created a special “escape” nook in your home or business landscape.

7 Responses

I second the notion of having an aromatic plant around your favorite spot. I have several around my patio and love them. It makes pruning and weeding less of a chore when working the beds means the air is filled with a lovely scent. I have patchouli, chocolate mint, Vick’s VapORub plant, assorted herbs, and a potted allspice tree. Heaven!

I have just such a place right outside my dining room window. It’s really the only window in the house I can just sit and look out (the others are too high). It’s the side yard of the house, inside the fence.

There’s the gate for the yard, framed by an arbor, crawling with bougainvilla that’s always out of control (and blooming its head off this summer!). My neighbor’s shade tree hangs over part of the area, so there’s nice contrast of shade and sun. And I hung a large, deep-voiced wind chime in the corner, where it sounds rarely (only in the stronger winds), making it a special treat for windy days.

The plants in this area all flower, and they’re only loosely constrained. When I walk in through the gate, or look out through the window, the immediate impression is of a secret garden, rampant with color. It makes me smile, every day, and it’s my favorite place to sit and plot and scheme.

It doesn’t get much sun in the winter, though, so I’m planning a winter refuge along the south wall, with evergreens and cool-weather bloomers and a windbreak.

I have discovered a new aromatic plant that I would love to suggest to everyone – holy basil. I got one at SW Fertilizer, and was enchanted by its sweet smell. I kept cutting it and putting it in water in the house, and ALL of it rooted. I have a bazillion now. The smell is heavenly and renewed if you barely brush the plant.

A garden reminiscent of a far off place would be very tranquil. Meditation involves getting away from it all, and what better way to achieve this feeling than recreating a garden from afar, like France or England. Houstonians may not be able to fully emulate Monet but they can definitely strive for a garden to meditate and contemplate everything beautiful. I do!

I planted a watermelon plant (bought from a nursery) a while back. The vine is vigorous, but the fruit doesn’t set and falls off. I’m about to pull the vine. Do you think it could just be a bad variety for our area or is it just too hot? I hate to pull the thing if it still could produce some mellons. The immature fruits are of the long type, but they shrivel up and fall off.